A Christmas Tale

"The dilemma. The reunion"

2008 2h 32m FR

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 178

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When their regal matriarch falls ill, the troubled Vuillard family come together for a hesitant Christmastime reunion. Among them is rebellious ne'er-do-well Henri and the uptight Elizabeth. Together under the same roof for the first time in many years, their intricate, long denied resentments and yearnings emerge again.

“The dilemma. The reunion”

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Cast

Catherine Deneuve
Junon
Jean-Paul Roussillon
Abel
Anne Consigny
Elisabeth
Mathieu Amalric
Henri
Chiara Mastroianni
Sylvia
Melvil Poupaud
Ivan
Emmanuelle Devos
Faunia
Hippolyte Girardot
Claude Dédalus

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Writers: Arnaud Desplechin, Emmanuel Bourdieu
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 152 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Paul Dédalus Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Arnaud Desplechin, shot by Éric Gautier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Grégoire Hetzel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Laurence Briaud shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon and Anne Consigny carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The dilemma. The reunion".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Arnaud Desplechin directs. Éric Gautier behind the camera. Grégoire Hetzel scores. Laurence Briaud cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 152 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2Released 18 years ago.
3Part of the "The Paul Dédalus Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Arnaud Desplechin, shot by Éric Gautier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Grégoire Hetzel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Laurence Briaud shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon and Anne Consigny carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The dilemma. The reunion".
9IMDB entry: tt0993789 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "christmas party", "family secrets", "dysfunctional family", "alcoholism".